Snap-catch for pocket-books, hand-bags, and the like.



0. GREENBAUM.

SNAP CATCH FOR POCKET BOOKS, HAND BAGS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION 311.21: mm 14. 1910.

964,641 I Patented July 19,1910.

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OSCAR GREENBAUM, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO ABRAHAM M.

LANGFELD AND MORRIS F. LANGEELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, TRAD- ING AS LANGFELD BROS. & COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SNAP CATCH FOB POCKET-BOOKS, HAND-BAGS, AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR GREENBAUM, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Snap-Catches for Pocket-Books, Hand-Bags, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

More particularly my invention relates to that kind of snap-catches which consists of two knobs or balls adapted to be snapped past one another in the opening and closing of the catch.

It is the object of my invention to enable such catches, while having a strong spring and snap-action, to be operated more easily and with less effort than has heretofore been possible and to make the catch more secure when closed. This result I accomplish by making either or both of the heads of the catch rotatable on their supports so that they will be rotated by contact with one another during the snapping 0f the catch, and this rotary action is increased by nurling or otherwise roughening the contact surfaces of the heads.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of a handbag having a frame provided with my improved snap-catch; Fig. 2 is a plan View of a part of the frame; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the balls or heads of the snap-catch; and Fig. t is a similar view illustrating a modification.

a is the bag-frame composed of two memhers I) I) usually hinged together. Each member is provided with the usual spring support or arm, 0, 0 respectively, projecting forward beyond the face of its member and carrying on its extremity a ball or knob, (Z, d respectively. These balls or knobs are so located that their surfaces will make contact with one another when the frames are closed together, and pressure must be aplied to make the spring supports yield so that the knobs may be pressed past one another. When the knobs have snapped past one another they will assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, the knob cl of the frame 5' being back of the head 65 of frame I), and vice versa. With the knobs snapped into this position the frames are securely fastened and can be unfastened only by reversing the operation and pressing the knobs back again past one another.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 14, 1910.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Serial No. 561,279.

This is accomplished by seizing the knobs between the thumb and first finger and making a slight rotary motion. The pressure being thus applied in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2 will snap the knobs past one another and unfasten the frames.

A snap-catch of this kind, without the improvement hereinafter described, is well known and in common use. To obtain a strong fastening it is necessary that the knobs shall lie back of one another to a considerable extent when they have been snapped past one another, and that a strong spring shall be used. The constant snapping of the knobs past one another tends to weaken the spring, and unless a strong spring with considerable overlapping of the contact surfaces of the knobs is used, the catch will in time become weakened and inefiicient or useless. On the other hand, if the strength of the spring and the extent of overlapping are suflicient to escape the liability of the catch becoming weakened, the catch is so strong that excessive pressure is required to open and close it. This is particularly the case where catches of this kind are necessarily of large size, such as used in hand-bags. It is the object of this invention to overcome these difficulties and to en able a catch of the character described, having a strong spring and a substantial extent of overlapping in the contact surfaces, to be operated more easily than has heretofore been possible. This object I accomplish by making one or both of the knobs or balls rotatable on its support, so that when the knobs come in contact and are pressed past one another, one or both of the knobs may rotate on its pin or support. By nurling or roughening the contact surfaces of the knobs the rotary action is facilitated, as the knobs in passing one another will act in the nature of gears, and less effort will be required to compress the spring and force the knobs past one another, either in opening or closing the catch.

In Fig. 3 one of the knobs, (Z, is pivoted on the pin 0 of the arm 0, while the other knob d is fast in the pin 0 of the arm a; in Fig. 4 both of the knobs are pivoted on the pins 0 lVhile I have shown the knobs pivoted on upturned pins 0 on the spring arms or supports, any other suitable means may be employed for supporting the knob 10 ing rotatable on their supports and adapted to be rotated by contact with one another in passing and the contact surfaces of said knobs being knurled or roughened.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

OSCAR GREENBAUM.

Witnesses:

\VM. F. KIRN, J. F. WALCH. 

